Machine for relaying rails.



J. W. HARRIS.

MACHINE FOR RELAYIYNG RAILS. APPLICATION FILED IAN. I6. 1917.

' Patented Mzm121918.

2 S HEETS SHEET 1- lnvento r,

Witnesses Attorneys rrn, s

JOHN W. HARRIS, or BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.v

MACHINE :eoR RELAYING RAILS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed January 16, 1917. Serial No. 142,697.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN W. HARRIS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jeffersonand State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Machine forRelaying Rails, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted tobe employed for relaying railroad rails. The invention aims to providenovel means whereby the rail which is to be laid may be moved properlyto assume its position at gage.

The invention aims to provide novel means whereby the rail may beelevated. Another object of the invention is to provide novel meanswhereby the rail may be moved endwise.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for supportingthe truck while the rails are being relaid, it being possible to trundlethe truck along the track, when desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby theoperator may, by his weight, counterbalance the machine so that it canbe trundled along the track readily on one set of wheels, when the otherset of wheels has been removed, and when an adjustable ground-engagingsupport is in use.

It is within the province of the disclosure toimprove generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangementof parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a machineconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental cross section showing the support as it willappear when in use and after one set of wheels has been removed;

Fig. 4: 1s a side elevation of the machine,

shpiwing the support and attendant parts; an

Fig. 5 is a fragmental detail showing a portion of the carriage.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a truckincluding a frame 1 having loops 15 at its sides. The main frame 1 ofthe truck carries tubular axles 2 supporting wheels 3 adapted totraverse one rail A of a railroad track. Telescoped removably into theaxles 2 are axles 5 carrying wheels 6 adapted to engage the other rail 7of the track. Secured to the frame 1 at one side thereof and adjacentthe removable wheels 6 are guides 8 in which standards 9 are verticallyadjustable, the standards 9 being connected at their lower ends by afoot 12, the standards and the foot constituting a vertically adjustablesupport. The standards 9 are provided with openings 10, and pins 11 areinserted through the guides 8 and through any of the openings 10 toadjust the position of the foot 12 with respect to the ground.

WVhen the machine is being trundled along the track 7-4, that is, whenthe machine is not in use, the axles 5 are journaled in the tubularaxles 2 and the wheels 6 cooperate with the rail 7 When, however, thedevice is in use, in relaying rails, then the wheels 6 and their axles 5are removed, the support 912 being slid downwardly to engage with theballast or the ties, as shown in Fig. 3. Owing to the construction lastabove described, the truck can be held in a relatively fixed position,while the rail is being relaid.

The side portions of the main frame 1 of the truck are connected by anupwardly arched base bar 14:. The main frame 1 of the truck carries anauxiliary frame comprising converging posts 16 and an annular top frame18. The posts 16 of the auxiliary frame may carry pivoted handles-17,whereby the structure can be lifted entirely off the track 7& whendesired.

A vertical shaft 19 is journaled in a cross bar 44: connecting opposedportions of the top frame 18, and is journaled at its lower end, asshown at 20, in the base bar 1 1. A cross arm 21 is secured at 22 to theshaft 19 and slides in contact with the upper edge of the top frame 18when the shaft 19 is rotated. The cross arm 21 preferably is made up ofa pair of angle members located side by side, the constituent members ofthe the cranks being accessible to a person standing on the platform 26.A pawl and'ratchet mechanism 30 prevents a retrograde movement ofthedrum 28. A shaft 31 is carried by the side portions of the cross arm 21and supports rotatable idler 32. A sheave 33 is'journaled-in the shaft19 above the cross arm 21.

A- carriage 34 is mounted toreciprocate on the parallel portions of thecross arm 21 and includes wheels 35 engaging the constituent members ofthe cross arm; At its outer end, the carriage 34 is provided with akeeper 36. A' sheave 37 is journaled on the axle which connects one pairof the wheels 35 of the carriage. A latch 33 is pivotally mounted on oneend of the cross arm 21 and is adapted to cooperate with the keeper 36.constituent members of the cross arm 21 are connected by a stop 43. Thenumeral 39 denotes a pulley block carrying a pair of tongs 40 or anyother suitable means adapted to grip the rail 31 which is to be relaid.The numeral 42 denotes afiexible element, one end of which 1s connectedto the carriage 34. The flexible element 42 passes downwardly throughthe pulley block 39, upwardly across the sheave 37 on the carriage 34,inwardly across the sheave 33 on the shaft 19, across theidler 32 on theshaft 31 and is secured to the drum 28.

In practical operation, let it be supposed that the rail '7 of Fig. 1 isto be replaced by the rail 41, and that the rail 7 has been removed.Then the wheels 6 are detached, the' axles 5 being slid out of thetubular axles 2. The support 12-9 is depressed until it engages the tiesas shown in Fig. 3, and the pins 11 are inserted into the properopenings 10 in the standards 9, so as to support the truck frame 1 in asubstantialhorizontal position. The latch 38 is engaged with the keeper36 of the carriage 34, as

shownin Fig. 5, to hold the carriage at the outer end of the cross arm21.. One or more operators standing on the platform- 26 rotate the drum'28-by means of the cranks 29, the flexible element 42 thus being'reeledonto the drum,- and the rail 41 being elevated. V i-hen thexlatch 38 isdetached from the keeper 36, the carriage 34 moves inwardly until thecarriage abuts I against the top 43. The rail 41 thus is located in theproper Adjacent the top frame 18, the.

place, at gage. Since the shaft 19 is rotaform 26, serve as acounterweight and,xif*

desired, one or more additional persons. can stand on the platform 26 toefiect the necessary counter-poising of the machine, sothat it can betrundled along on the .wheels 3.

The structure can be lifted off the track 47 at any time by means of thehandles 17, and the handles 17 can be folded downwardly when theoccasion for the usethereof has passed.

When it is required that-the truck be moved for any considerabledistance'along the rails 73, then the .support 912. is raised up andheld in an elevatedhposition by the pins 11, the axles 5 being insertedinto the tubular axles 2' and the wheels 6 being engaged with the rail 7as shown in Fig. 1. Bar may be inserted through the loops 15,- tofacilitate the lifting of the machine on and off the track. That side ofthe frame 1 which is next to the platform; 26 may carry a saddle 100supporting'grips coacting with the rail 4.. These grips 101 engagetherail 4 somewhat loosely,.so that the truck can be moved readily alongthe rails 4and 7. "How-- ever, should the truck tilt slightly, when therail 41 is raised up, the grips 101 will engage the rail 4 and preventan appreciable tilting movement of the truck. v

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A device forrelaying rails, embodying a truck; permanent wheels at onev side of'thetruck; removable wheels at the opposite side of the truck; a verticallyadjustable ground.- engaging support carriedby thetruck adj a cent theremovable wheels and adapted to be used interchangeably therewith;a'frame upstanding from the truck; a cross arm can ried by the frame andprovided at one: end with a platform on which an operator may stand toeffect a counterbalancing of the truck when the truck is tilted andtrundled on the permanent wheels; a rail-lifting means carried by theother end-of the cross arm; and mechanism for actuatingtherailliftingmeans, said mechanism being accessible from the platform.

2. A device for relaying rails, embodying a truck; tubularaxlesroarriedby the "truck; permanent wheels carried by the tubularaxles and. located .at one side of the truck;

removable axles telescoped into the tubular axles; other wheels carriedby the removable axles and located at the opposite side of the truck;rail-lifting means carried by the truck; and a movable ground-engagingsupport carried by the truck and adapted to be employed, to theexclusion of the said other wheels, when the lifting means is inoperation.

3. In a device of the class described a wheel-mounted truck; a framecarried thereby; a substantially vertical shaft journaled in the frame;a cross arm carried by the shaft; a rail-lifting means located at theone end of the cross arm; a depressed platform carried by the other endof the cross arm and disposed relatively close to the ground whereby anoperator may ascend the platform and counteract the weight of thelifting means; and mechanism for actuating the rail-lifting means, saidmechanism being accessible from the platform.

at. A device for relaying rails, embodying a truck; permanent wheels atone side of therewith; a frame upstanding from the truck; a cross armcarried by the frame and provided at one end with a platform on which anoperator may stand to effect a counterbalancing of the truck when thetruck is tilted and trundled on the permanent wheels; a rail liftingmeans carried by the other end of the cross arm; and mechanism foractuating the rail lifting means, said mechanism being accessible fromthe platform.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiiXedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. HARRIS.

Witnesses R. R. STOTLAR, O. D. WVELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

